It's not all Monty Python, A celebration of British and Irish comedy.

Very funny, loved it.

It's one of those sketches, like a lot of Monty Python's stuff, that has slipped into the public's consciousness.

Harry Enfield's long term comedy partner was/is Paul Whitehouse. They initially worked on stage together before Paul, along with Kathy Burke, became a mainstay on his television programme.

Here's a selection of sketches.

After Harry Enfield & Chums finished Harry Enfield was seen less on television whilst Paul Whitehouse became a central figure in the iconic Fast Show. The premise was quite straightforward, the funny part of the joke is the punchline so go straight there, hence fast show. Jonny Depp was a fan and famously wrote to the show asking to be given a part.



One A2K poster used this Paul Whitehouse character as his avatar.



Unfortunately youtube has categorised the Fast Show into compilations of certain characters, and you have to subscribe to see the actual shows. Here's another Paul Whitehouse favourite.

Paul Whitehouse went on to star in Bellamy's People, a sketch show in which fictional chat show host Gary Bellamy interviewed a host of eccentrics. Here Whitehouse plays an Anglophobic Welshman, (aren't they all?)



Here's a full episode that includes a parody of the once famous Mitford sisters.



Bellamy's People also featured the much loved and missed Felix Dexter. For a while he was known as the black comedian who wasn't Lenny Henry. Here are two of his characters.






Bellamy's People also featured Mr Khan who went on to have his own series, Citizen Khan.

Another pivotal figure was Victoria Wood, as well as having her own sketch show which included Julie Walters she also wrote many TV comedies.







I have to admit she's not my cup of tea, but she was, and remains, very popular.

Sticking with female comics, this sketch show really is my cup of tea.





[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nByciNNVYxw[/youytube]

Sorry, I mistyped the last clip which is a full show.

Another central figure in British satire is Chris Morris. He first came to attention with the programme The Day Today, a satirical news programme which also featured Alan Partridge, (more on him later.)

This is a typical clip.



And this is a full show, first broadcast in 1994.

After The Day Today, Chris Morris starred in a very controversial series called Brass Eye. The focus was on hypocrisy and hysteria as this clip on AIDS shows.



The most complained about episode was Paedogeddon which looked at the hysteria surrounding paedophiles and made use of B list celebrities saying anything if it's written down for them no matter how ridiculous. The Tory Culture Minister at the time condemned it but then had to admit to not seeing it. It is very good.



Chris Morris also used to turn up on other programmes in disguise. Here he is on shitty daytime chat show The Time The Place, pretending to be an expert whilst talking total bollocks.

Now Chris Morris has moved onto films. His most well known film Four Lions is about a bunch of incompetent jihadis, (as most of them actually are,) it's very funny.





This is his most recent offering, I've not seen it, but the trailer looks good.

[youtube]https://www.foeeurope.org/node/595[/youtube]

Steve Coogan started out doing stand up and providing the voices for Spitting Image, a satirical puppet show very popular in the 80s and 90s. A lot of it dealt with British culture so won't mean much, but this skit about Reagan should register OK. It was serialised over a number of weeks, here's all of it.

Steve Coogan has a wealth of comic characters but his most enduring one is Alan Partridge. Alan Partridge first appeared on The Day Today but has gone on to have numerous seasons of his own show and a cinema release.

These two clips sum up the character best.

I especially enjoy these clips during these troubling times....it's hard to laugh during grim times but it is so important for the spirit. Thank you Izzy

Thank you.

Steve Coogan has had minor roles in lots of Hollywood films like Tropic Thunder and Night at the Museum. He's now taking the main role.







He also has a long term friendship with Rob Bryden. They have produced a series of films where fictionalised versions of themselves sample restaurants in various locations, Lake District, Italy, Spain, and write a review for a paper.

This exchange is something that can only come from two friends each trying to outdo the other.

This is batman.



This is different and a bit longer, still as good.

Graham Linehan is a major comedy writer, he is very good, although recently he's abandoned comedy writing to become a full time transphobic bigot on Twitter. Never mind, we can still enjoy his comedy.

He started off as one of the writers on Big Train a sketch show that introduced a lot of new comic actors including Simon Pegg. It was a bit hit and miss, but I think it had more hits than misses.

Linehan's most well known sitcom is Father Ted, a story of parochial life on Craggy Island. It was voted number 2 in the most popular UK sitcoms poll, just losing to Only Fools and Horses. I think it's the best.

After Father Ted Linehan worked on Black Books a series about a misanthropic book shop owner.

Perhaps Linehan's best known comedy is the IT Crowd, about an IT department.

I don't have a lot of access to the computer right now as The Kid's working from home. I can't post videos on the ipad.

This is the last thing Linehan was involved in Count Arthur Strong, about a failed variety act

The BBC are currently using comedy clips to help with the pandemic. I don't know what the weird song at the beginning is, but the good stuff kicks in after about 30 seconds.